Search engines are used in a variety of contexts to allow a user of a data terminal, e.g., a computer, PDA or data enabled phone, to search stored data for items of interest. For example, search engines are used for research, for on-line shopping, and for acquiring business information. The case of on-line catalog searching is illustrative. On-line sales are an increasingly important opportunity for many businesses. To encourage and accommodate on-line purchasing, some companies have devoted considerable resources to developing search tools that help customers identify products of interest. This is particularly important for businesses that have an extensive product line, for example, office supply companies.
One type of search engine is the product category search engine. To implement a product category search engine, the available products are grouped by categories and subcategories. A user can then enter a product category term, or select a term from a pull-down window or the like, to access a list of available products. These search engines are very useful for customers that have considerable experience or expertise by which to understand the structure of the product space at interest. However, in many cases, the product category may not be obvious or may not be the most convenient way to identify a product. For example, a customer wishing to purchase Post-It notes may not be able to readily identify the category in which that product is grouped or may not want to work through a series of menus to narrow a search down to the desired product.
In addition or as an alternative to product category searching, web-sites often accommodate keyword searching. To execute a keyword search, the user enters a term to identify the product-of-interest; often a trademark or portion of a trademark. A conventional search engine can then access a database to identify hits or, in some cases, near hits. This allows a customer with a particular product in mind to quickly identify the product, even if the customer can not or does not wish to identify the product category for that product.
Unfortunately, keyword searching can result in a failed search, even when products of potential interest are available. For example, a customer needing to order appointment books may enter the popular trademark “Daytimer.” If Daytimer appointment books are not carried or are not currently available at the site, the search results may indicate that there is no match, even though other appointment books, e.g., At-A-Glance brand books, are available. This, of course is a lost sales opportunity for the business.